Whispering shadows
by CyborgCinderella
Summary: Imagine whispers inside your head, whispers that never cease. Crona has defeated his demons, but when a girl with unusual powers shows up in death city,with something more then a past haunting her, he feels a connection. Can he deal with it?
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot, and my character. I have rewritten everything, so it should make a lot more sense and considerably improved in grammar :D please R&R**_

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_The crazed moon hung low over death city, blood dripping from its grinning maw. The streets of death city were shady and deserted._

_Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream split the darkness. A teenage girl ran through the alleyways, gasping for breath, clutching the deep wound in her side. She couldn't summon her weapon, there was nothing she could do but run. With desperate eyes she searched the skyline of death city looking to see if she was any closer to the great school, the sanctuary she at been running to for months. With a pang in her heart she realised that the monster behind her would probably kill her before she reached the gates. It was pathetic, what she had been reduced to. All these months of fighting, for nothing, she thought bitterly. But that wouldn't stop her trying._

_Bursting out of the alley, she checked the street, and in the distance saw figures running towards her. She paused, and too late realised her mistake, as a huge hand tipped with talons raked across her back, sending her flying across the road into the wall opposite. The girl sank to her knees, coughing blood. She heard shouting now; the people running towards her were closer. She had to finish this, now, before anyone got hurt._

_Struggling to her feet, she faced the monster. The hulking kishin bared a mouthful of teeth at her, his talons dripping blood,__**her**__blood. Feeling a surge of anger, Faye raised her arms. Her violet eyes flooded back and her hair whipped around her head. The kishin paused, confused and she smirked. Summoning all her strength she whispered one final word to the monster "__**Die**__". And from her hands deathly shadows streamed, cutting through the air and slicing through the kishin's body, who disappeared in a swirl of ribbons, then her vision clouded and she fell, hearing a sword clatter to the ground as someone rushed to__ catch her..._


	2. Awakening

**Rewritten second chapter! Please review!**

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Crona watched the strange girl sleep in the sick bay. Who was she? Her power was something he had never seen before, and he was worried how much damage she had inflicted on herself, since she had been asleep for almost two days.

A sigh from the girl snapped him out of his revive and he watched her face as she frowned in her sleep. Her black curly hair was spread across the pillow, washed free of blood and shining in the afternoon light, her hands tangled in the thick mane. Her long eyelashes cast shadows on her pale cheeks. A lock of hair fell across her face, tickling her nose. Without realising what he was doing, Crona reached out and tucked it behind her ear; he let his fingers rest there for a moment, tangled in her hair. Suddenly he noticed what he was doing and jerked his hand away, standing up so he could shove them in his jean pockets before they could do anything else of their own accord.

There were voices in the hallway, and Maka and Soul walked into the sick bay with professor Stien, surprised to see Crona already there. She walked over and gave him a smile as stein checked the girl.

"Oh, hey Crona, how long have you been here?" she asked, standing beside him. Crona, who was still looking at the girl, started a little at the question

"O-h, uh I-I dunno, a while, I suppose." He mumbled, keeping his eyes on the girl. Soul, who was still lounging in the doorway, smirked at Crona

"Well at least stop staring at her man, you look like a pervert, so un-cool." He chuckled, walking into the room. It was at that moment Ragnarok decided to appear.

"Ya Crona you're a little pervert!" he shrieked, pulling at the skinny teen's lavender hair. Crona blushed and looked up guiltily, trying to fight him off.

"w-what? N-no! Don't mean to, it's because she hasn't woken up yet. Get off Ragnorok, I don't want my hair to fall out," he wined desperately, failing above his head.

"No Crona, don't worry she'll be fine," assured Maka, glaring at Soul and Ragnorok in turn, before turning to Stein, who was checking the girls pulse, "right, Professer?"

"Definitely," said Stien, straightening up. He cranked the screw in his head, and smiled. That really didn't do anything to help their spirits, because stein always managed to look slightly sadistic when he smiled. Shrugging off their nonplussed stares, he placed a cigarette in his mouth, and headed out of the room, " her wounds are already healing, its mostly just exhaustion. She'll probably wake up soon."

For a while they waited, sitting in the awkward chairs, going over why she was here, but not a student, for the hundered time. Ragnorok got bored of what he called "the dumbass waste of time waiting for this broad to wake up" in little over fifteen minutes and went to sleep, it was a little more peaceful after he left. After nearly an hour, Soul stood up and announced he was hungry.

" It's not she's going to wake up anytime soon," he grumbled when Maka protested as he tried to leave. As if on cue the girl started to stir, stretching with a groan that made Crona blush. Her eyelids fluttered open, and at once her violet eyes landed on Crona. Her face clouded with confusion, and she sat up slowly, hissing as pain shot across her back.

"... Where am I?" she asked. Her voice had strange accent, clear and lilting. She looked around at them all, and Crona wondered if they looked strange in her eyes. Maka, ever helpful, stepped forward with an explanation and a handshake.

" Hello, You're in DWMA, we bought you here after-" Maka stopped her account when the girl let out a strange gasp. Crona stepped forward, "a-are you ok?" he asked, concerned. She blinked at him, and smiled, nodding.

"I-I'm Crona" stuttered Crona reaching forward to shake her had.

"I'm Faye." smiled the girl, shaking Crona's hand. He blushed at the touch of her soft skin. She looked back to Maka again, looking apologetic.

"oh, sorry...where were you?"

As Maka recounted her story, Crona stared at the ceiling, trying to quell the blush that rose every time he looked at the new girl. It didn't help that Ragnorok was trying to force his way out, screaming at him inside his head about not being let out now that there was something interesting going on. Crona often questioned how he had come to know all those swear words, because he was sure he had never thought of any them.

Faye, who had finished listening to Maka's report, nodded and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"It seems I've been asleep a bit to long" she said sheepishly, "I should probably get up," She frowned and looked down at herself, "ah, where are my clothes?"

"They were covered in blood, we had to throw them out. School is over for today, and I've got money from the school so we can buy you some new clothes. But you can wear this in the meantime," said Maka, holding up a long black robe. Crona stared at the garment, growing red as he recognised it.

"T-that's mine" he cried, pointing a shaking finger at his old outfit. He no longer wore the long dress-like robe, but dressed in skinny jeans, and shirts with oversized cuffs. He still looked feminine, it couldn't be helped, but he was not as easily mistaken for a girl as he used to be. Most of the time.

"Don't be silly," Maka scoffed, shaking back her blond pigtails "it's not that bad, anyway you don't even wear this anymore"

"I know... I-I just can't deal with a g-girl wearing my clothes" whispered Crona, looking at his feet.

"Well you'll have to, it's just until we buy new ones for her anyway." Maka hissed back, dragging Crona and soul out of the sick bay as Faye changed.

Faye slipped the black dress over her head, the fabric cool against her skin. She winced as it scraped against her back, over the scabs that had formed there. They would be gone by tommrow, at least. She smoothed it down, and smiled to herself. Finally, she had reached the DWMA. She was safe at frowned but for how long? Could she last in a place like this? A sudden pain racked he body that had nothing to do with the scratches on her back, and she gripped the curtain surrounding the bed to steady herself. She took deep breaths, and soon her body stopped shaking. Straightening up, she turned to look at herself in the mirror, and decided that the collar had to go; it made her look like a priest. And she didn't like priests. Spotting a scissors on the desk, she grinned. Faye stepped into the hallway and stood before the trio, smiling nervously

"So... how do I look?" she inquired. Crona stared at Faye in disbelief. His old robe hugged to her body, showing off her slim figure. She had chopped off the collar of the tunic, making it look even more like a dress, and showing her off graceful neck. But he couldn't help but notice that she was almost painfully thin.

"Y-you look r-really pretty" he stammered, his right arm gripping his left. Maka looked at Crona in surprise, had he just complemented Faye? Normally Crona didn't speak much around new people _–_maybe all her lessons on social skills are paying off_._

"WAAIITT! Did I just hear Crona call somebody other than flat-chest '_pretty_'?" With a cry ragnarok burst from Crona's back and eyed Faye "hah, she looks better than you ever did in that thing! Faye yelped, staring at the small inhuman being, her eyes growing huge.

"oh, Faye, this is Ragnarok, Crona's weapon" Maka explained quickly, moving in front of Faye. She lowered her voice" he resides inside Crona because of the black blood, I'll explain more later." Crona blushed; he didn't know how to deal with people talking about him.

* * *

Crona trudged along the hallway of sibistun. He hadn't much sleep last night, ragnorok had, in a fit of nostalgia, kept in up half the night poking him and pulling his hair. His arms were coved with bruises. He hated dealing with bruises.

There was group of his classmates; he made his way toward the group and saw they were surrounding Faye, who seemed slightly uncomfortable. She fidgeted with her fingers and tugged at her new dark purple skirt. Faye didn't want the attention, and as soon as she saw Crona she made her way over to him and slipped her hands around his waist, hiding her face from the crowd.

Crona's face burned crimson and he stared at her, his mind reeling, he didn't know how to deal with this. What was she doing? He hadn't spoken to her much yesterday, he kept getting distracted by her eyes, or her laugh, and of course by Ragnarok, who wouldn't pass up and opportunity to embarrass him. Everybody was looking at them, and already whispers were flying through the crowd.

He could feel her body pressed against his, her face buried into his shirt. He felt he should do something with his arms. Raising them, he hesitantly wrapped them around her back. He was never sure what to do when it came to hugs. Faye stayed in the hug with Crona until the crowd had dispersed, then broke away and smiled, but the expression in her eyes was confusing. They were filled with sadness. And...fear?

"I-ah kinda got lost" she said, blushing

* * *

Faye stared at the book in front of her, trying to ignore the whispers of the shadows in her head and of her new classmates. It had been too long,she needed a proper source of power, or she might just kill someone. She bit her lip as a voice in the back of her mind whispered "again."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Crona smiling nervously at her.

"Are you ok?"He asked, his grey eyes concerned. Faye didn't answer; she found that she was staring at Crona, taking in the details of his face, how his eyes seemed a different shade of grey every time she saw them and how his tousled lavender hair fell at different lengths.

Crona waved his hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her daydream.

"Hmm? Oh,yes. I'm fine, hey is there a graveyard around here?" the question slipped out of her mouth before she even knew what she was saying.

"w-what? Graveyard? Stammered Crona, " y –yes, do you want to go there?" he asked nervously, it was an ominous sounding question. Faye nodded, looking just as nervous as he felt.

"Do you think we could go after this class? If I don't go now, I-I'm afraid I might hurt somebody" she ended her sentence in a whisper clenching her fists on her desk.

Crona reached out and placed his hand over Faye's. He barely knew Faye, and he didn't know why she needed to go to the graveyard, a place he would much rather avoid. But he recognised the expression on her face. It was one he had worn when he was afraid of losing control. He didn't like to think of anyone feeling like that.

"We'll leave right after the bell rings" assured softly.

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**Tell me what you think of the rewrite?**


	3. Craving

**Ok last time I forgot the disclaimer so *hand over heart***

_**I do not own soul eater, cause if I did Maka and Soul would be together by the end of the danm thing :P**_

_**This has gone through the rewrite process, I hope it clears things up a bit more :3**_

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By the time they had reached the graveyard, Faye was shaking. She felt like a drug-addict, in despite need of a fix. Clutching Crona's arm, she walked a little faster, feeling the energy of the graveyard pull at her soul. It was all she could do not to scream in anticipation. As the skeletal trees, hung with their ominous chains and hooks, loomed into view, she began to hyperventilate. The hissing voices in her head had become so much so she could barley think, or even see straight.

Crona glanced at Faye worriedly. As they got closer to the cemetery; he had noticed her behaviour changing. Her breathing had become shallow and fast, he could feel her hands trembling through his shirt, and he stumbled as she walked faster toward the gate. When they past the entrance Faye let go of Crona and _ran_. In the centre she stumbled and fell to her knees. Please, please let this be over quicklyshe thought desperately.

The cemetery, which had been quiet already, grew deathly silent. The air seemed to grow darker, heavy on the skin. Faye's bleeding slowed, until she was barley breathing. Her eyes flooded black and black shadows haloed her body. Long shadows stretched out from where she knelt, clawing greedily at the graves around them. As they did, they became darker and thicker, black mist coiling between the graves. Her body grew limp and puppet-like as the shadows lifted her off the cold ground and her back arched as she screamed, drawing energy into herself. She hung suspended in the air, shadows lashing around her, her hair whipping in the wind. Then the shadows faded and Faye fell through the air...

Crona stood watching Faye, terrified for her. He stumbled backward, his legs hitting a tombstone, and he sank down to the ground, desperately wishing that he could run to his room and curl up in his favourite corner. The snake-like shadows twisting through the graveyard didn't come near him, and he wondered why, though he wasn't complaining. His mind spun, what do I do? He thought sadly. Is she ok? How do I deal with this? A high pitched scream from Faye made him jump. He looked up, and with a pang of horror, saw Faye falling through the air, her hair streaming behind her. Scrambling to his feet, Crona ran to catch her, and was forced to the ground by the impact of her fall.

Sitting on the cold ground, Crona held Faye to his chest, his heart banging a tattoo against his ribs. Fear made him stutter worse than usual.

"F- Faye a-are you al-alright?"

Faye seemed dazed, looking up at Crona, her violet eyes filled with tears, and she turned and sobbed into his chest, flinging her arms around his neck.

"I c-can't believe I made you come h-h-here!" she sobbed. She pushed away from his chest and gazed into his eyes.

"The shadows inside me... I can barley control them" she drew in a shuddering breath "all my life I ..." she paused, and then shook her head "I'm not safe to be around. I'm a horrible, twisted being, who doesn't deserve to be friends with someone like you, Crona" Faye ended in a whisper, her voice filled with self-loathing.

"Faye..."Crona reached out and wiped the shining tears from her cheek "Faye, if Maka told you anything about me at all, you know that I battle with insanity every day of my life. I know how it is to feel helpless." He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Promise me that you will never think that again. Promise me." Crona said quietly.

Faye sighed, a long, slow sigh and fell back against Crona's chest, closing her eyes. They sat there for a long time, Crona's arms around Faye, sitting on the frosty ground. Crona listened as Faye's breathing slowed from the sobbing gasps of beforehand, to long, slow breaths. He held her until the daylight faded and the air grew cold and damp. Faye drifted off to sleep, nestled against Crona's chest.

Crona glanced at his watch, it was almost six. He was freezing and noticed that Faye had started to shiver. Shifting his position, he slipped an arm under Faye's knees. Ignoring the cramps in his legs, he stood up. He glanced down at Faye; she was much lighter than he had expected. Her head was resting on his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck. It felt good to be this close to her. Smiling slightly, he carried Faye, bridal style, out of the graveyard.

* * *

Maka and Soul struggled up the stairs to their apartment, weighed down with grocery bags. Maka was concentrating on getting to the apartment without her fingers falling off, when she realised something.

"Soul, did you see Crona today? She asked. Soul grunted, the bags he was carryinh were considerably heavily than hers, but he was determined not to show it.

"What? Do you think a cool guy like me would notice if an un-cool weirdo like him was around?" he scoffed. Whirling around Maka sent a flying kick across Soul's face. Soul staggered back a few steps and fell to his knees.

"What was that for?" he yelled, dropping the bags and clutching his face, the side of which felt like it was going to fall off in pain.

"Stop calling Crona weird!" Maka said coolly, and shrugged, "I would give you a Maka-chop, but my hands are full. Now, answer properly."

"Uhhh... I think I saw him in homeroom, with wazzhername? Faye, yeah," muttered Soul, picking himself up.

"Ya, me too. But they disappeared after that..." muttered Maka, resuming her climb.A chuckle from Soul made her turn around.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Nothing" Soul grinned "I just can't believe that a girl like _her_would run off with _Crona._"

"They didn't _run off_" Maka snapped, a little surprised at her own blunt tone. Something had really bugged her about the way Soul had said _her_, and she didn't know why.

Reaching the apartment, Maka made her way down the hallway, to the kitchen. Soul dumped the bags in the hall and headed for his room, when a scream from Maka made him run after her. Flicking on the light, a strange scene met his eyes. Maka was standing over a cowering figure, holding a book as thick as a dictionary above her head.

Recognising the person, Soul called out to Maka, but it was too late. With a cry of 'Maka-chop!', Maka's arm sliced through the air, her book sinking into the persons head. Soul ran forward and grabbed Maka's shoulder.

"Maka... that's Crona." Sighed Soul gazing down at the collapsed teen. Maka clapped her hands hands across her mouth, and knelt beside Crona with a squeak of despair. She started to gently shake him, trying to wake him up.

Crona groaned and shifted on the tiled floor, massaging his head. Pushing himself off the floor, he blinked, looking around. Finally he remembered where he was and yelped, looking at Maka as if expecting another chop. Maka pulled him into a hug, squeezing him so tight he nearly passed out again.

"I am so sorry Crona, it was an accident!" Maka cried letting go of Crona so he could breathe, then frowned in confusion "but what were you doing in our apartment anyway?"

"Uhhh..." Crona got to his feet, staggering slightly, "ahh... Faye felt unwell, so I took her to the sick bay, then we left after school to see the city, and she, um, fainted. So I brought her here" he mumbled, gesturing to Faye who was sleeping, previously unnoticed on the sitting room couch. Crona didn't want to tell them about the graveyard; it felt too personal, between him and Faye. And he wasn't sure how they would react.

"I didn't know where else to bring her...didn't she stay here last night?" He asked as Maka walked over to the sitting room area.

"No, I think she went back to the hospital ward...I guess she can stay here though." Maka said glancing at Soul, who shrugged.

"I'll call the school and get her bag delivered, she can stay in the spare room an-Crona what are you doing?" Maka stopped in the middle of her sentence and stared at Crona, who had lifted Faye off the couch and was making his way down the hall.

"I'm bringing her to the room, and then I'm leaving" explained Crona quietly, without turning around. He knew that he didn't have to do this, that Soul could carry her just as easily. But something about that idea bothered him, someone else holding Faye this close to their body, was _not_ allowed. He couldn't deal with it.

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_**A/N: whoo cheesy pantie shot! Review your thoughts on it! should she have nicer panties?**_

_**I apologise for it, but it was needed, has anyone read the manga? The amaunt of panty shots and naked girls in it is just ridiculous. But on the other hand, stein looks so beautiful in it...and I know the ending to this chapter was a little...bleh. I think I just ran out of steam. **_


	4. Morning after the night before

_**A/N:Hey guys, sorry for taking FOREVER to upload this, I know its short; hit a bit of writers block. Really it's just a filler, the next one will have a bit more excitement, thanks to all of ye who reviewed and put me on story alert and stuff like that. Thanks sooooo much XD COOKIES FOR ALL! Rewritten slightly!**_

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Darkness, screams, blood spilled across marble floors. Hazy vision, white figures falling before her feeding her, filling her with power. And the voices, always the voices.

Faye woke in a small, bright room. Sun streamed in through the window, warming her face. Groaning, she rolled over, feeling her muscles protest at the movement, they were still frozen from last night...last night. It was a blur of power and tears..and someone holding her while she cried.. Crona. What was she doing? She thought angrily to herself, I'm getting to caught up in this.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the narrow bed she stretched, running her fingers through her messy bed-head. She glanced down at herself; she was wearing a long black t-shirt over her underwear. Sleepily, she wondered whose it was.

Someone knocked on the door. Blinking groggily, Faye shuffled over and fumbled with the handle. The sunny face of Maka greeted her on the other side; from behind her wafted the smell of a cooked breakfast. She beamed at Faye, looking bright eyed and busy tailed. _Obviously a morning person_ thought Faye. Resisting the urge to slam the door on Maka' face and crawl back into bed, Faye attempted to smile back. She managed a grimace, and Maka laughed at her expression.

"Not a morning person? Asked Maka sympathetically "come on, you'll feel better after breakfast."

Nodding mutely, Faye shuffled after Maka, who was leading the way to the kitchen. Soul was already there, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. He glanced up when the girls entered and grinned at Faye. his gaze lingered on her long, bare legs, making her blush and tug at her t-shirt. Maka noticed this and her hand drifted towards a nearby book.

A cry of "Maka-CHOPP!" filled the air. And Soul slumped forward onto the table, knocked out cold. A few moments later he was awake and yelling at Maka.

"What was that for?"He cried, clutching his head.

"You were perving on Faye!" retorted Maka.

"Was not!"

"Then what was that? Who were you staring at?" Maka hissed venomously.

"Umm" Soul paused, his eyes sliding back to Faye. Maka raised the book, and Soul swore as it came flying through the air.

"Maka-CHOP!"

Faye stared at the pair, wincing each time Maka slammed the book into Soul's head. Soon it seemed that they were just arguing for the sake of it. Slightly confused, she wandered off to find something to eat.

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting down to pancakes, made by Maka when she saw Faye sniffing around the kitchen.

She smiled and chatted with Maka all the while, but underneath her cheery exterior, she was a little worried. She couldn't properly remember what had happened the night before, but she knew Crona was there, and if he was there he must know now...what if she had done something to him? She bit her lip worriedly.

She absent-mindedly got dressed, pulling on a black skirt and striped green and black top that she found in a bag by her bed. She wandered around the apartment, exploring what was, she supposed her new home. Maka and soul were still in the kitchen, she could hear them bickering, so when she heard murmurs of conversation down a hallway, she was curious.

* * *

Crona stared at the door in front of him. His clenched fist hovered an inch away from the wood. He pulled his hand back to knock, then suddenly changed his mind and pulled his sleeve back to check the time, 8:15. He had been here for the better part of an hour now, trying to muster the courage to knock on the door. He didn't usually turn up at Maka's apartment at this time, but he had spent all night worrying about Faye, and being beating by Ragnarok as punishment for not letting him out. He needed to make sure that she was ok. He was afraid though, of how it might seem, he didn't want any sarcastic comments from Soul. He was just about to give up when Ragnarok appeared, and started complaining loudly.

"What are you doing standing out here? I'm _freezing!_" he wined "I'm hungry!" he began to pull at Crona's hair, causing him to whimper in pain, desperately trying to detach Ragnarok from his lavender locks.

"Ragnarok...no...My head hurts already...ahh I-I can't deal with this right n-now"

Ragnarok looked around the hallway, stared a moment at the door, then looked down at Crona, slight puzzlement etched on his clownish features.

"What's the problem? Knock on the door. Be a MAN!" he finished in a yell and, grabbing Crona's hand, he reached for the door handle, which twisted before he reached it. The door was yanked open and Crona fell through on his own momentum, landing with a crash on the welcome mat. A surprised yelp reached his ears and he glanced up, stuttering an apology to Maka.

But the legs he was staring at weren't hers. In horrified realization, Crona slowly began to look up, his face growing red as his gaze slid over long slim legs, reaching the black mini skirt. But before he could look any higher, there was a rustle of clothing and Faye crouched down, bewilderment etched on her features.

Crona whimpered, Faye's skirt had rode up uncomfortably high on her thighs and he realised could see right up her skirt. His pulse started to race and blood rushed to his face. Between the gap in her legs he could see red panties, the colour of them almost matching his blushing face. He was aware of an uncomfortable tightness in his lower abdomen, and cursed his skinny jeans, though he knew it would be a lot more embarrassing if he still wore his old dress.

She blinked down at him "umm...Crona, are you ok?" she asked, slightly confused at Crona's terrified expression.

Gulping, he nodded, tearing his gaze away before she noticed. Instead, he stared at the floor, and remained staring until he was sure it was safe to stand up.

Once he was standing, and his face was a slightly more normal colour, he got a proper look at Faye. Apart from seeming slightly confused, she looked good, no, radiant. Her skin glowed and her hair shone. Only her eyes held sadness, the dark shadows underneath them betraying the night before. But they brightened when she saw him, and she launched herself at him, almost toppling the slim swordsman over again.

"Crona...yesterday, I'm so sorry..." Faye started after she had pulled back, her eyes growing sad once more, and Crona frowned.

"F-for what? You did nothing wrong."

Faye stared at the ground, her hair falling over her eyes. Wrapping a strand around his fingers, Crona slipped it behind her ear, brushing her cheek as he did so. Faye looked up in shock and started to speak, but Crona held a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

"I-I don't need to hear anything, ok? It's our secret." He said soothingly.

Smiling, Faye nodded, and headed back to the kitchen. Crona followed, deep in thought. He felt...odd, he was normally never this calm. But there was something about Faye that reminded him of what he went through, and he wanted to protect her.

"TINY TITS!" yelled ragnarok, appearing suddenly and beating Crona around the head "WHERES THE FOOD?"

* * *

_**A/N; ya, had to stick ragnarok in at the end, he was yelling at me.**_

_**Please, please, please review...for some reason I think I spelled "please" wrong there...strange.**_


	5. Shadows and Bloodshed

**FINALLY! its been ages but i finally have the 4th chapter!...no wait...its the 5th. THE FIFTH CHAPTER! I am doin' well!**

**And its all been read and approved of by my fablous beta reader **GrellTheLeper** who is fabulous.**

**Thanks for the reviews... to the people who DID review. To you silent readers...I love that you read and favorite and put me on alert, but would it kill to to click a button and write a sentence? **

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Faye jumped as the school bell rang. Gathering her notes, she looked at her fingers. They were splattered in ink. A smile twitched on her lips, so this was school...what a novelty.

"Faye!" the call came from Crona, who was standing outside the door. Mostly everyone else had left. Picking up her bag, she walked over to him. He was standing apart from a group of people; she didn't know most of them.

"Crona! School is so amazing, um...so what do we do now?" She ended her sentence in a whisper, moving slightly closer to him in the face of all these people.

Crona was about to answer when Maka jumped in. "Faye-chan! Let me introduce you  
to Black Star, and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, they're back from the Spartoi unit today, they..." she was cut off by Black Star, who leaped over to Faye and posed.

" SO! MAKA HAS FINALLY GIVEN ITO YOUR PLEAS AND LET YOU MEET ME! THE MIGHTY BLACK STAR!" he yelled, laughing manically at the end of his announcement.

Faye yelped and shrank away from him, moving behind Crona, who blushed as everyone stared at him in surprise. Maka was the first to recover, moving Crona aside to speak to the confused Faye.  
"Anyway, were heading to combat practice, the teacher is...an old adversary of Black Star's, that's why they're here" she explained as she started to guide Faye down the hallway.

Faye glanced back at Black Star, who was still boasting loudly to thin air, or rather, to Tsubaki, who was smiling softly and nodding, while gently guiding him along. Faye wondered how she did it. If she was his weapon, she would have to see him every day, right?

She caught sight of Crona, who was walking a little behind herself and Maka, and she exchanged a small smile with him. She blushed a little as she turned back around. She wasn't sure what these feelings were, but every time she saw Crona, she felt a jolt of happiness. It was a wonderful feeling. She had never felt anything like it before, and she was have meant to have-

She lost her train of thought as Maka announced:  
"We're here!"

Faye's eyes grew wide as she took in the huge room they had entered. It was as big as a chapel, with different levels, like balconies all the way to the roof.  
All around them, students were battling, or practicing moves. They fought each other, or automated dummies that fought back, and the room was filled with noise and war cries.

Faye's hands twitched and she bit her lip worriedly. She could feel the adrenaline pounding through the fighters, the excitement, she could sense the fear, and in some, the anticipation of the kill.

The shadows awakened inside her, whispering, filling her head with fog. They wanted blood spilt, they needed to hear the death scream of an enemy, craved the last rush of power before the kill. They had been fed, but their appetite was never curbed.

She took in a shaky breath and tried to step back, bumping into someone.  
Senses too acute, she whirled around, her eyes flashing black for a moment.  
She saw the shocked face of Crona before losing her balance and falling to the floor.

The last thing she saw before the darkness overtook her was Crona's worried eyes, filled with concern. Then, she was lost.

* * *

Fayes eyes fluttered open. They were as black as night, yet her features were serene and she smoothly stood up, ignoring all helping hands. Pushing her way through the gathered crowd, she walked to the centre of the hall. Her slow, deliberate steps echoed in the half silent hall, whispers flying through the crowd like a breeze.

"Hey, are you oka- !" her hand shot out before the sentence ended, and black shadows sliced through the air, slamming into the speaker. Blood flew through the air, spattering on the cold stone floor as he was thrown across the room.

A deathly silence filled the hall and all eyes were on Faye as shadows began to gather around her, sliding like living creatures from dark corners and pulled from beneath the feet of students. They crawled up her legs, coiling around her body like a living cloak.

Crona took a step forward, a sick feeling gathering in the pit of his stomach.  
This wasn't Faye, not the girl he knew. All around the room he could see partners silently motioning to one another, moving carefully, as though walking on glass. Other students moved to the door, which slammed closed, tentacle like shadows withering in front of them. They were trapped.

He was directly behind her when he took another step and her head twitched towards him, a snake like motion. The tension was building, he could feel it.  
He was terrified that one false move could snap it like a twig. Dragging his feet, he moved closer and Faye slowly twisted to face him, body contorting so she was facing him with her feet pointing the opposite way.

They where inches apart, almost nose to nose. Crona was staring right into the roaring, hollow pits of her eyes. There was nothing there that showed any humanity, any trace of the person he knew to be Faye. This was a vessel, currently in use.

Ragnarok formed and the faint "snk" of the blade tipping the floor broke the delicate tension.

Faye untwisted, a grin painted on her face. Spinning around, she rose her arms and a wall of shadows rose and slammed into him, sending him flying across the room, hitting the wall with a crunch and falling to the floor. Ragnarok disappeared and Crona groaned, coughing black blood.

Through bleary eyes he could see the rest of the students rushing to attack, and Faye greeting them with open arms. Her maniacal laugh rose above war cries and she danced out of reach of the first few attacks, returning them with slashes of shadows that slammed into the students like a whip, sending then smashing against ceiling, the walls, each other. She giggled all the while, dodging fire and bullets, scythes and swords like it was a dance.

Maka was getting nervous. Several times she had a clear shot at "Faye", or whatever it was and every time she had moved away like it was nothing, sending a wave of shadows at then that were impossible to avoid. Yet the attacks weren't as harmful as the one Crona had been subjected to. Everyone who was hit could get up and fight again.

Suddenly it hit her. This was all a game to Faye. A sick, twisted game. And they were the toys. Well it ended here, Maka was determined. making a beeline for Faye she jumped, bringing Soul high above her head. Faye seemed oblivious, too distracted by attacks coming in from all sides. But she stopped, looking up at Maka, into her eyes, seeming to see into her very soul. Her smile widened and her raised her hands again. Maka blacked out.

Ribbons of shadows shot out of nowhere, slicing through the air and students. Blood spattered the floor and the students soon followed, one after the other in a sickening thud.

Faye laughed out loud, the sound twisted and hysterical. She picked her way through the hall of bloody bodies, looking for something.

Grabbing an outstretched, gloved hand, Faye pulled and Maka emerged from beneath a pile of injured students. Her clothes were in tatters, and blood was  
running freely from cuts all over her body and below her hairline, matting her fringe and running into her eyes.

Faye grinned, the smile splitting her face in two "Hello Maka...we've been looking for you..." she hissed, her voice like a choir, raspy voices  
overlapping one another to form a sound that made skin crawl.

Still holding Maka's hand, she turned and walked from the room, the doors opening at her touch. Crona struggled to his feet, and the last thing he saw was Faye's retreating back as she dragged Maka like a doll down the corridor, waves of shadows washing away people who approached.

Then the doors slammed shut and he was left, trapped in the blood stained battle hall.

* * *

**so yes, there it is...so that button thing...yeah that one...I DARE YOU...to press it XD**

**please please pleas review...I'm desperate ... **


	6. Sacrifice

_**Hey everyone...remember me?**_

_**Well, I'm just going to leave this here, and beg forgiveness. I would promise more, but my heath is not the best for the foreseeable future. So, though I will have a lot of free time, I probably wont have the energy to write a lot. It sounds silly I know, but...yeah, it's true.  
**_

_**My other excuses' are writer's block and forgetfulness...for like a year.**_

**_Anyway, this is my Christmas gift to you, and I'll definitely try to update before this time next year! I'm so sorry._**

* * *

Faye walked leisurely through the corridors, dragging Maka in her wake like an oversized doll. Behind her the halls were filled with broken bodies, all subjected to the crushing waves of shadows Faye emitted with every step.

She burst out of the entrance hall, and onto the sun-dappled steps. As the bright light hit her she hissed in painful harmony with herself, shielding her eyes until she could continue down the stairs. She skipped to the centre of the courtyard, looking for the entire world like a demented, oversized child with a giant toy.

The shadows hadn't had this much fun in a long time. It had been so long since there had been fresh blood spilt. So long since there had been sacrifice. Their vessel fobbed them off on graveyards, age-old musty deaths that were a weak as spider webs, nourishing as sawdust. She forced them to stay quiet, repressed their suggestions, their cravings. Until now.

They were disappointed in her. She would've been, should have been the ideal vessel, she was born for the part. It could've been perfect, if she hadn't developed this...reasoning, these emotions. The court had become too lenient, they had left her alone too long, let her think. Let her escape. The shadows growled in frustration as they dropped Maka. Faye's mind made them think, too.

They looked down at Faye's sleeping friend. Well, if they weren't going to be served sacrifices on a platter anymore, they would just have to make their own.

This one was tough, a fighter. She would put up a struggle, all the way to the very end. Her death would be delicious, her pride broken, her last moments full of hopelessness, anger and despair. The shadows watched over Maka, grinning wide enough to split Faye's lip. Oh yes, it had been a while.

* * *

Crona stared blankly at the heavy double doors as students around him slowly regained consciousness. He was in shock, his mind unable to process what just happened. An entire legion of meisters brought to their knees, their strongest dragged away as a trophy. The hall was now lined with rows of them, the few uninjured students who knew first aid moved among them, attending to the wounded as best they could with strips of cloth and soothing words.

At his feet lay Soul. Crona was waiting for him to wake, hoping that his panic, which was unavoidable, would snap him out of this trance. How could it have happened? What was Faye? There was a moaning at his feet and Soul struggled to his knees, blood seeping sluggishly from his wounds. He coughed, and something black spattered against the flagstones. Crona shuddered and crouched beside his friend, helping him to his feet.

Soul looked blearily around at the recuperating students, searching for the meister that should be at his side. Clutching Crona's arm, he got shakily to his feet, his face becoming more and more panicked as he looked around.

"C-Crona... where is Maka?" he asked groggily. Crona looked at him, and his stomach lurched when he saw the worry in his eyes. He didn't want to answer, couldn't handle being the one to tell him. It was his fault after all; he had brought Faye here, brought her into their lives.

Soul grabbed Crona by the shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Tell me where my partner is," he whispered, baring sharp teeth. Crona's knees buckled. He was a head taller than Soul, but right now the look in the weapon's eye promised death if he didn't get an answer.

"S-s-she t-took her...Faye took her, Soul," he whimpered. Crona winced as Soul dug his nails into his shoulders, dragging Crona closer to him.

"This is your fault," he hissed, nose to nose with Crona "If anything's happened to her, I'll-I'll..." he trailed off, leaving the threat unfinished. A part of Crona sneered at him, this weapon, barely able to stand on his feet, threatening him. If he stepped away, Soul would fall on his face; his threat would mean nothing at all. Soul was so weak now he probably wouldn't be able to stop Crona from throwing him to the ground.

"You know you could," whispered a voice in his head, "That weapon is nothing without his precious partner..." And it was true, Crona realised."You could rip Soul to shreds, and nobody would be able to stop you, nobody-"

Soul leaned heavily against Crona, and suddenly his mind was clear again, the voice faded. He supported his friend, letting the albino gather his strength while he quietly freaked out at the thoughts that had just filled his head. He hadn't felt like that in years, and that wasn't Ragnarok. The little demon was blunt and rude, nothing more really. This voice was different, snide and powerful. It coiled around his mind, like a snake. Crona shivered, he hated snakes.

Soul pushed him away now, giving him a glare that Crona barely registered. The madness that had descended upon him was gone. It had fled, like a criminal caught in the act. It hadn't felt part of him, like the old whispers had been, like Ragnarok was.

He shivered and decided to follow Soul, who was eyeing up the doors thoughtfully. He was refusing to be helped by any of the first-aiders, and Crona knew Maka would get really annoyed if he let Soul do anything stupid.

"That's if she's still alive, dipshit," squeaked Ragnarok at the back of his mind. Crona jumped, he kept forgetting about his weapon. He seemed to be content to let Crona mess up on his own these days, although Crona did hear giggling in his head sometimes during class. He often wondered if the demon could hear all his thoughts.

"No I can't, dumbass."

Crona started again, almost yelping at the sudden intrusion in his train of thought. There was a prickling at the base of his spine and Ragnarok formed, grabbing fistfuls of Crona's hair and giving them a good tug.

"That stuff's like your 'public' thoughts, stuff you'd tell anyone if they asked what you were thinking, y'know? Not that anyone asks you anything, freak." He prodded Crona in the face as if to prove his point. Crona shied away.

"Ragnarok..." he groaned, trying to push the weapon away, a feat which was completely impossible, but as much a part of the routine as the tormenting.

"I can't hear the dirty thoughts you think about that crazy shadow chick, but I can pretty much guess, you perv!" he cried, grabbing Crona's nose. Crona fought back, trying not to draw attention, which is pretty difficult when you've got a screaming demon attached to your back.

"I- don't think dirty thoughts! I-I'd never think about her like that! Get off, Ragnarok, I can't deal with bruises on my face!" he cried, waving his hands desperately above his face. They were still struggling when Soul charged past, almost knocking them to the ground. The pair stopped and watched him launch himself at the doors. He was inches from them when they swung outward, sending him crashing to the ground.

Crona cringed, hearing the resounding crack as Soul hit the floor. Maka was going to be mad at him.

* * *

Maka groaned as she came to, squinting at the blindingly blue sky. A shadow loomed over her, and Maka vaguely recognized its' outline.

"Faye?" she mumbled. Her jaw ached. She couldn't remember how she got here, why she had just woken up on a warm stone floor, outside. The shadow above her came into focus, and Maka saw Faye's face. She was smiling, her eyes hidden by a shadow.

"Maka! You scared us!" it was Faye's voice, bright and brittle as polished glass. She never stopped smiling the entire time she talked, and held a hand out to Maka as she spoke. Maka sat up, taking Faye's hand.

"Ugh..." she groaned, holding a hand to her pounding head. She felt like she had been slammed against a wall, and then dragged through a briar bush, backwards. She looked down at her clothes, ripped and torn, and blinked; perhaps she had. Something warm was trickling between her fingers and her forehead felt sticky. She looked at her palm; it was coated in bright, red blood, contrasting sharply against her white gloves.

She looked up in shock, what was going on? Faye still hadn't let go of her other hand, and was still smiling sweetly, not saying a word. Her back was to the sun, her face in shadow, apart from her smile. It seemed frozen on her face.

"What happen to me? Are the others alright?" she asked worriedly, trying to pull her hand away from Faye's so she could stand. Faye tightened her grip, saying nothing. A giggle escaped her frozen smile.

Maka looked at her hand, and the way Faye's nails were digging into the flesh of her wrist. A feeling of dread began to stir in the pit of her stomach, and a memory flashed before her eyes. Mad laughter. Searing pain as shadows tore through her body, losing Soul as she fell.

She glared up at Faye. The girl had tilted her head, and Maka could see the bottomless, coal-black eyes glittering at her. Her smile was now so wide it split her face in two.

Fear spiked into anger and Maka tried to tear her hand away from the monster. It seemed Faye was expecting this and a sleeve of shadows slid down her arm and wrapped around Maka's.

Before she had time to think, Maka found herself flying through the air and slamming to the ground at the other side of the courtyard with an almighty _**CRACK!**_

The shadows giggled as Maka hit the ground, watching the flagstone crack beneath her. Flicking their arm like a whip, they threw her in the air again, bringing her down on the other side of the yard just as hard as last time. Again and again, Maka was thrown against the stone, and it was only once the shadows heard a crack of broken bones did they stop. They were only just beginning to play, they didn't want to stop.

They walked over to the crater in which Maka lay, and looked down on her as a mother might look upon her sleeping child.

Maka attempted to get up, limbs shaking. She couldn't put pressure on her left leg, even moving caused sharp pain to shoot through it. But that only made her angrier. She spat at Faye, who raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You're not playing fair," she hissed at the giggling Faye. The young woman smirked, making a helpless gesture with her hands. They were amazed that Maka was still able to speak.

"We're not playing anything, Maka," they smiled, tilting Faye's head, "We're killing you. Was that not obvious?"

Maka clenched her fists, willing herself to step towards the girl. Her mind was spinning with tactics, unfortunately each plan had a "but" stopping it.

She could distract the girl and run, but she couldn't even walk. If she had Soul she could fight, escape, but she didn't have Soul.

"A fight to the death should be honourable!" she cried, hoping, somehow that this twisted psycho had some sense of decency, that she might have some semblance of a soul that would grant a final wish.

The shadows stared at Maka, considering her situation. The girl could barely stand, and her will was almost broken, they could feel it. This wasn't a fight, not in their eyes. But perhaps letting her fight and killing her that way would be more fun. Adding adrenaline and bloodlust to her death would make it even more delicious.

"A fight it shall be then," they smiled, "but let's make sure you're prepared."

With a flick of her wrist, Faye sent a shadow zooming towards Maka. The meister flinched, bracing herself for the searing edge of the darkness, but the shadow wound itself around her leg instead. Maka hissed in pain when she felt the bones of her leg grate together, but realised that Faye had set them in a splint. Maka looked down at her leg, shocked, when she saw another sudden movement in her peripherals.

Turning, she threw her hands out, and her fingers closed around cold metal. Blinking, she studied the weapon she now held. It was a long black pole, deathly cold and much lighter than it should be. A blade twice the size of Soul glinted maliciously in the sunlight. The air seemed to mist around it, the chill seeping into her bones.

Faye grinned at her, like she had just given her the best gift anyone could ask for.

"Well? Do you like it?" Faye giggled, clapping her hands. She beckoned to Maka, walking backwards, into the centre of the courtyard, raising her hands above her head. The sky darkened and shadows stretched across the yard, rippling and bubbling, coiling around Faye to form a long pole, etched with ominous, glowing symbols. It ended with a sharp, twisting spear head, and shadows rolled in a wave from its base as it clinked softly against the stone.

Maka lowered herself into a crouch, waiting for Faye to make the first move. The smile on her opponents face made her painfully aware how unevenly matched they were, that, unless help got here in time, Maka was going to die. Faye gripped her lance tightly, and started to stalk towards Maka, chuckling in anticipation.

Closing her eyes, Maka summoned soul detect. There was no point really, but Maka wanted to see how dark, how twisted the girl before her really was. Things about Faye's behaviour, her way of speaking, were not making sense.

It was not what she expected. Faye's soul was pure and white, shivering in the centre of her chest. It looked sad, scared and much smaller than it should have been. Faye was now bearing down on her, and in her presence the air seemed to grow darker.

Twirling the lance above her head, Faye sent it hissing down towards Maka, who blocked, feeling the force of the blow reverberate through her body. She was still confused about the soul. It couldn't belong to this black eyed creature, could it?

Maka was forced to her knees, Faye leaning so hard on her that they were almost nose to nose, Faye's black eyes and manic grin taking up her vision. Her arms were beginning to shake under the weight, when a movement behind Faye caught her eye.

She hadn't noticed the darkness that had cloaked them, or the wind that ruffled her fringe. She glanced up, and nearly dropped her guard in shock. Above her, big as a house, was a soul. it was black, made up of screaming sprits that twisted around each other like snakes. It was like a cocoon that closed around them both, shutting the rest of the world out.

She looked at Faye, aghast. The girl chuckled, stepping back from Maka, only to roundhouse kick her in the chest a moment later, sending her sprawling across the stones.

Her soul detect blinked out, and Faye walked towards her, passing her weapon from hand to hand. Maka struggled to stand. Two souls. No, more than two. Hundereds, in one body. She had never seen more than one soul another person, apart from Crona, ever. And didn't Ragnarok used to control Crona, basically?

Maka tested her leg, and swung the scythe above her head. Running toward Faye, she swung the scythe towards her. Faye stood, making no movement to block or doge. Her soulless eyes watched as the blade came hissing through the air.

The knife edge was inches from Faye when Maka felt extreme pain shoot up her arms. Gasping, she was forced to stop by the weapon itself. Faye raised an eyebrow mockingly at her, and Maka looked in horror down at her hands. Thick, black spikes stuck up through the back of her hands, rivulets of crimson of blood dripping off her fingers.

The scythe disappeared, slipping like mist between her fingers, and then the razor-sharp point of Fayes lance was pressed up against her neck, the cold tip cutting into the soft skin of her neck.

The cold that radiated from the lance spread like a poison through Maka's veins, slowing her heart so it felt heavy in her chest, causing her knees to buckle so the weapon pushed further into her flesh. She could feel the blood beginning to trickle down her neck, seeming boiling hot against her frigid body. She gulped at the air, craving warmth.

The shadows smiled at her, lapping up her life as it left her body. They could barely taste it yet and it was already divine, full of terror and sadness, just as they hoped for. They prepared to slit Maka's throat, to fully devour her death, but all of a sudden, there was another source of what they were looking for. Something, raging, boiling, made up of everyone's greatest fear. Something better than a thousand deaths could be.

The shadows dropped Maka to the ground and turned, Faye's face full of wonder and awe, as the Grim Reaper landed in the courtyard.

His mask, usually so jolly and grandfatherly was cold, and full of rage. He held no weapon but power radiated off him.

Anyone else would only see a grim-face lord of death facing a trembling girl, but shadow-Faye saw, and felt so much more. She could feel the waves of death pouring from the tall figure, causing goosebumps along her arms and hair to rise on her neck. She took a hesitant step towards him, dropping the lance, which evaporated in a poisonous hiss.

Death looked over the courtyard, at the broken, bleeding form of Maka, over to the door of the school where bodies were visible in the hall, and the girl with the soulless eyes that stood before him.

When he spoke, his tone was full of deep sorrow, echoing across the courtyard.

"Child...what have you done?

* * *

_**Well, that's all for now, I'll try to have the next one up soon!**_

_**Please review, its helpful to see what you guys think and feel, and reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**_

_**W**__**hich taken literally would be a really weird feeling.**_

_**Thanks for sticking with us and Happy Christmas or whatever :)**_

_**Also, I'm sorry if the her/they/shadows/Faye majig got confusing, but its confusing anyway.**_


	7. Apology and explanation

Oh my god.

You mean I didnt post that new chapter that I had written half a year ago? Seriously?  
I am so sorry. I've actually lost that whole chapter, with its dream sequence and all...

I am so sorry I'm gonna try and make it up to anyone who is reading this. I have to find/rewrite that old chapter and finish my new one.

Other reasons for my absence include a lot of hospitals and its a long story. Look out for my autobiography in twenty years, I'll mention the shame of leaving my readers without an update for so long :P


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